Our Values
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Money should be simple
You're more empowered once you understand how money works. The key to this is keeping it simple.
Money has to work for you
Making the right choices can create real freedom in your life. Having a trusted financial partner is the shortest path to making it happen.
Choose your own path
Everyone has their own story and it doesn’t matter where you are right now. At Lakeshore we'll help you get started and back on track.
Our Team
Karen Perttula
Founder,
Licensed Mortgage Broker
Karalee Love
Broker Support
Our Story
Karen has always had a natural head for numbers — not in an abstract sense, but in understanding why things add up the way they do. That practical, plain-English approach to finance is exactly why her clients value her so deeply.
Karen began her career in 1997 working with family budgeting and quickly saw how personal finance could be a major source of stress. Even with a solid plan in place, many people needed more guidance, support, and reassurance than the system allowed. That realisation led her to step out on her own — and in 1998, Lakeshore Finance was born.
From the beginning, Lakeshore Finance was built on a simple philosophy: helping people not just secure finance, but truly thrive in their financial lives.
Through word of mouth, repeat clients, and referrals, Lakeshore Finance grew into a trusted Perth-based business. Many of Karen’s client relationships now span decades, with some evolving into genuine friendships. For Karen, finance has never been just about loans — it’s about people, purpose, and the journey each client is on. She has a unique ability to connect people not only to the right financial solutions, but sometimes to new opportunities, perspectives, or even life changes.
Karen is joined by Karalee Love, whose connection with Lakeshore Finance spans nearly two decades. Karalee first became a client in 2006, later supporting the business through bookkeeping, before naturally evolving into a trusted collaborator, close friend, and now co-owner.Karalee brings exceptional financial depth to the business, with 27 years’ experience as a Management Accountant and Business Analyst for a large international mining and chemical company. Her background offers strong analytical skills, strategic thinking, and disciplined financial modelling expertise. She also has extensive hands-on experience with property ownership, investment, Self-Managed Super Funds, and the full property purchase and settlement process.
Having recently completed her Diploma of Finance and Mortgage Broking, Karalee combines corporate-level financial insight with practical lending knowledge, providing clients with both precision and clarity.
Today, Lakeshore Finance operates from Karalee’s home-based office in Henley Brook, maintaining the personal, relationship-driven nature the business has always been known for. Together, Karen and Karalee offer a highly complementary skill set — decades of mortgage broking experience alongside advanced financial analysis and strategic planning.Lakeshore Finance remains proudly “old school” in the best sense: valuing face-to-face conversations, taking the time to truly understand clients’ goals, and offering guidance on structure, budgeting, and long-term strategy — not just securing a loan.
At Lakeshore Finance, it’s not about transactions. It’s about relationships, trust, and helping clients build a stronger financial future.